EM: Not Gone
by Took-Baggins
Summary: She wasn't gone...she couldn't be...
1. Chapter 1

A/N I wrote this way back when the 'El Manana' video came out, but I never finished the second chapter so it never got posted. I'm working on it now. Anyway, this probably won't go over two chapters, we'll have to wait and see.

Hope you all enjoy it!

x x x

She had been gone for a week. Normally they wouldn't have worried, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but never had she gone so long without sending word. Now, scanning the sky as they circled town in the buggy, all three of them were getting worried. They had already been out for over an hour before Russel spotted a thin spiral of smoke. It was quickly fading, but they managed to locate its source before it disappeared completely.

Scrambling out (and falling once in his haste) 2-D made his way to the edge and hesitantly peered downward.

For a moment he froze. One terrible moment, gazing down into the wreckage and seeing the one thing he had hoped to never see.

Amid the burnt and crumbling remains of a once beautiful windmill, the form of a girl could just be seen. She lay, battered and broken, in the frame of a doorway, her arms thrown wide as if she had tried to catch herself on it.

He couldn't do anything. She was so far out of his reach that he could only stand there, numbly staring down onto what was left of his friend. It was horrible, that he suddenly felt so helpless, so empty, with nothing inside of him but a cry and a wild hope that she had not gone, she was only injured. Unable to move, but not gone.

Please, God, not gone...

_No one could have survived this._ He thought, looking down at her. She had been there for who knew how long, her beloved island burning away all around her. He tried, but couldn't fool himself. He couldn't make himself believe that he was looking at anything but an empty shell, bereft of what had made it so beautiful. She was gone.

Tears flooded his vision as he fell painfully to his knees, unable to support himself any longer. Paying no mind to his approaching bandmates, he crawled to the edge of the cliff, looking sadly downward. Shaking, he clutched at his hair, his thin fingers tangling themselves into the cerulean strands as he sobbed openly. Far below, her violet hair splayed in a halo about her head, Noodle lay silent and still, her face turned mournfully to the sky.

x x x

Things were horribly quiet in Kong. Russel was in the kitchen eating, as he had been since it happened. He had begun to actually buy groceries every morning, rather than living on take out. Of course, he bought them every morning because he usually finished them off by evening. It wasn't that the food was comforting for him, but he was trying to keep himself occupied, to keep his face and hands busy while his mind wandered. That was something he couldn't prevent, he knew, so he instead tried to turn it to the little problems at hand: the weight he knew he must be gaining, what to do with Shaun, getting 2-D to eat again...

Said singer sat across the table from him, exactly where he had been for several days now. His arms were folded upon the table and his head bowed low over them, unmoving save when Russel would insistently push a morsel of food toward him. Even then he would merely shrink away from him, silently declining. It was hard for Russel, who had always felt somewhat responsible for his younger bandmates, to see him doing this to himself. Try as he might, though, 2-D would only sit there. Every so often his expression would twist painfully before settling back into a blank stare.

Neither of them took any notice of the time that passed. Russel merely continued to eat and 2-D continued to waste away.

Murdoc, in his own way of grieving, had shut himself away from the others completely, seeking solace in his drinking. He sat for hours, mumbling to himself and only moving when it was seriously necessary, and too drunk to take notice of anything other than what was left in his bottle. Somehow, after a few days of this, he was seized with a rare moment of sobriety. Finding that he was nearly out of beer, he finally decided to make the trek inside. After a bit of scrambling around for a pair of pants, he picked his way through the empty bottles and kicked the door open.

x x x

She couldn't see anything. Her vision had blurred to near blindness after she had collapsed against the support column. In her exhaustion she didn't particularly care, all that mattered now was that she had made it.

It had been difficult getting there. Not finding her way, she would always be able to get home, but just making her body move had been challenging. She didn't understand why her bandmates had left her in the gorge. They thought she hadn't made it, she knew, but she had expected them to find a way to get to her...

She groaned again, sliding farther down the pillar. It was getting dark, things would be stirring soon and she knew she couldn't fight them off in such bad condition. Murdoc would be nearby, seeing as he spent most of his time in the Winne so she sat and waiting, hoping to be found. In her weakened state she had lost all sense of time, so whether she waited a few minutes or a few hours she didn't know. She could just feel herself slipping into a doze when a curse cut the air and something seized her.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Well, here it is! Sorry for the wait, I got up to the end and had a prolonged case of writer's block (_very_ prolonged). Enjoy part two!

x x x

2-D was not aware that he had fallen asleep at the table, nor did he notice the fact that he was awakened by a shouting Murdoc. He stiffened and remained where he was, fully expecting a slap to the head. It never came. The table wobbled a little as Russel pushed away from it and the singer's hazy mind finally registered the urgent tone of the voices around him.

Murdoc _never_ sounded like that...upset...

He knew it was important. Lifting himself from his chair, he turned and blinked at Russel, his eyes traveling along the drummer's arm to see where his hand rested upon something in Murdoc's arms.

_Someone._

Finally, something in 2-D's damaged head clicked and he gave a gasp. It was Noodle (or rather, what was left of her). The bassist had one arm beneath her knees and the other supported her head and shoulders. Had he not known her so well, he would not have recognized her. Of course, her hair was unmistakable but her face was buried in Murdoc's shirt, hidden from view.She had a generally blackened look about her.The three men stared at one another, and slowly a look of horror stole over the singer's face.

"Not Noodle! She's not...not one of..." he began to shake, close to tears. The thought of their beloved guitarist joining the living dead that plagued the studio was horrible, and he suddenly felt such guilt that he nearly did start crying. "We shoulda buried 'er! I know we didn' fink we could get ta 'er, but..."

"Calm down, D." Russel shushed him and grabbed hold of his arm, attempting to calm him. 2-D pulled away from him, his lip quivering.

"Nofink for it...we'll 'ave ta take off 'er 'ead..."

"Don' be stupid, idiot, she's not dead yet!" Murdoc growled. He would have liked to have given him a good kick, but thought it best to not jostled Noodle anymore than was necessary.2-D stared at him blankly.

"Muds found her out in the carpark..."

"She's alive, then?"

"Yeah, and she's goin' to a hospital." Russel scowled at the bassist, who shrugged. "Go get the buggy, man."

"Get it y'self."

"I'll get it." 2-D sighed, knowing that the two of them would have argued all night over it. He hurried from the room, hoping they would be on their way soon.

x x x

It ended up being a long night for all of them. The worry caused by Noodle's sudden reappearance added to the hours spent at the hospital all that night had left the musicians feeling completely drained. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that 2-D felt himself being shaken from his much needed sleep by Russel. The large man was waving a large, funny looking beeper at him, a huge grin plastered across his face. "D! D, listen! Just talked with the nurses, man, and do I have good news!"

"The kitchen's got pancakes?" 2-D asked, sleepy eyed and not entirely aware of what was going on around him.

"What? No, not pancakes, Noodle! She's still sleepin', but they got her in a private room now. With some recovery she'll be just fine!"

"Oh. OH!" Jerking himself awake, the singer scrambled upright. "Le's go, Russ!" with that he bolted past the drummer, disappearing around a corner. Several seconds went by before he wandered into sight again, face blank and hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Where am I going?"

x x x

Several floors and many dead ends later they had finally made it: room 492. Russel went right in, but 2-D found himself hesitating outside the door. He wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to see her. She had looked awfully burned to him earlier, would she wind up scarred? Or worse...would she even be their Noodle anymore? It frightened him, he didn't want to see her like that. He knew, though, that what she needed now was to wake up to her family sitting at her side. It wasn't important that he was afraid to see her hurt, so he pushed away the nervous feeling settling into his stomach and went into the room.

What he saw wasn't what he expected, but he was relieved that she looked as well as she did. She was no longer asleep, as they had been told, but it was clear she wasn't far from dropping off again. A green cast encased her left arm and there were bandages wound about her on various spots. Most of her burns (the ones that hadn't blistered) had been left uncovered. The instant she caught sight of them, her face lit up and split into a smile.

"Hey, baby girl, how you doin'?" Russel chirped, squeezing into a small chair at her bedside. Ignoring the one that remained, 2-D simply sat at the foot of her bed, one knee pulled up to his chest.

"Well, I think. Thank you, Russel-san." Noodle beamed again and turned to 2-D, reaching out to him with her free arm. "I am so glad to see you both!" he leaned forward so she could wrap it around his neck. "I was so worried that no one would find me..." she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Aw, well..." he would have blushed, but his happiness (and shock) over the guitarist's sudden reappearance had taken over. It didn't occur to him to do anything but sit and look at her.

"I guess Muds is good for something after all." Russel laughed, drawing a smile from Noodle.

"Is Murdoc here? I would like to thank him." Noodle asked, shrugging when 2-D shook his head. "That does not surprise me. He is not one for these sorts of things."

She yawned and Russel frowned, glancing at his watch. "It's getting late. You need your rest, girl." her face fell a little, but she nodded. "We'll be back first thing in the morning, alright?"

"Yes. I am glad you came." Noodle smiled and he returned it as he rose and squeezed out of his chair and rose. 2-D had not moved. The drummer turned at the door.

"You comin', man?"

"In a minute." he waved him off and turned back to Noodle. Once the door had closed he sighed. "I 'ate to leave ya 'ere, Noods."

"It is not the first time I have been by myself." a small smile crossed her face. She didn't find his worry amusing, but the look he was giving her reminded her of a puppy who wanted to sleep in her bed. "I will sleep most of the time that you are gone." she said, hoping to reassure him.

"Are ya sure? You won' be lonely or anyfing?"

"You have no _idea_ how tired I am." she tried to shoo him away. "Don't worry. Go home and sleep, I will see you in the morning."

"Really?"

"Yes. Go!" he stood to follow Russel. Before he had reached the door, he stopped and walked back over to her bed.

"I'm glad you're back. I really missed ya." he bent to kiss her on top of the head. Noodle watched him leave the room, feeling her face growing warm. She began to feel heavy. Her body was much more exhausted than she had let on while the guys were there. Now that they had gone, she finally let herself relax and sank back into her pillow as sleep began to overtake her.

"I'm glad I'm back too."

x x x

A/N Whoa! That was a weak ending, wasn't it? Well, it doesn't matter, because it's done now. Besides, this was really just a big excuse for me to use the scene where they found the wreckage. I wrote that out of the blue and didn't have anything to put it with. All the same, I appreciate everyone who has read and especially everyone who reviewed. Thanks everyone!


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